Well, pitchers and catchers are in camp, with little over a month before the regular season starts. What are all of your predicitons? I think, unfortunately, that the $Yankee$ are gonna make it to the World Series again without too much challange. I think if Boston holds together under this new ownership, they might make a run. And with a little more playoff experience, Seattle could look good too. The AL Central seems wide open, with Chicago and Cleveland having the best shots, but Minnesota being pegged as a team that could excel.

In the NL, I think Atlanta and Arizona will have quality years again. St Louis might fall off, but Chicago will almost certainly contend. And don't count out possible surprises like Florida and Colorado, who can contend if their pitching holds up.

Wouldn't it be a sad state if Minnesota excels, and then is folded? I'm not sure what to think about MLB right now...it has some major issues. And it is even more sad that the first MLB game I may go to this year will be in Milwaukee - the commish's team. (Cubs are playing though!!!!)

Originally posted by zonelistener:I'm not sure what to think about MLB right now...it has some major issues.

TV revenue sharing has to become a part of the business side. It's just unacceptable when all the big market teams have lots of money to spend on the best players because they take in more revenues from their TV deals. Compare New York's 7 million TV households to the 840,000 TV households in Kansas City, and it's painfully clear that New York benefits simply from the size of its city. Talk about unfair.

Originally posted by Foxxern: TV revenue sharing has to become a part of the business side. It's just unacceptable when all the big market teams have lots of money to spend on the best players because they take in more revenues from their TV deals. Compare New York's 7 million TV households to the 840,000 TV households in Kansas City, and it's painfully clear that New York benefits simply from the size of its city. Talk about unfair.

I totally agree! Not to be a whiny Red Sox fan, but New York is like a monopoly over the rest of baseball.

I don't know about the Sox this year. Don't get me wrong, I'll be cheering until the end but I think this will be a big transition year for the team. Duquette's days are numbered as are Kerrigan's (probably) so I forsee a lack of stability for a while. Of course it looks like we will finally have a little more stability on the field so the problems which arose last year (players unsure of when they would play) will hopefully be solved.

I'm so excited for baseball to begin again...normally I spend spring break in FL with my dad--he's got a place that's close to the Indian's spring training camp in Winter Haven and we always see a lot of games. This year I'll be in London though, so I'll be missing out on spring training...not a big deal though, lol. But it's fun seeing them in Fl...

Well as a red Sox fan, I was pleased with the offseason acquisition of Johnny Damon. I was not happy they let Pokey Reese slip to Pittsburgh. The starting pitching is another Duquette patch job with Burkett and Hermanson behind pedro...maybe enough for a wild card, but the damn Yankees are loaded, and the Mets and Texas made major offseason moves(though the Rangers will rue the day they took on Carl Everett).
Look for another Subway series with huge ratings in NYC and major disinterest in the rest of the world.

Cool for those of you going to spring training. Maybe one year I'll be able to make the trek down there.

As long as the Yankees don't win the World Series, there will be some sense of satisfaction. I just get so sick of their bottomless pockets and those annoying fans. They're the worst this side of Philadelphia sports fans.

Looks like Minnesota will be sold, hopefully to an owner who can build a new stadium. Then finally all this contraction bullshit can go away (except for hapless Montreal).